The code signing and provisioning aspect of iOS development is, without a doubt, the worst thing that Apple has ever produced. I’ve been reminded of this because I just updated to OSX 10.7.4 and for some reason all of my provisioning profiles now complain that they can’t find a valid signing identity. An hour or so of googling and button clicking later and I’m admitting defeat for the moment.

As an example of how hateful the process is and how little regard Apple has for its community of developers, here’s a screenshot from their certificate history page:

Yes, those are dates. And yes, they are sorted alphabetically. This from a company that is universally praised for its attention to detail and the ease of use of its products.